Menu for December 28th- January 3rd

Monday- The game on monday is Minnesota at Chicago. I'm very excited because i'm going to attempt to make a Chicago Style Deep Dish Pizza. I have wanted to make one for awhile so hopefully it turns out good.

Tuesday- Famous Dave's their devils spit hot wings are super yummy

Wednesday- Chicken & Biscuits with all the craziness last week I didn't make this so I will do it this week.

Thursday-New Years Eve Marinated Top Sirloin, Party Potatoes

Friday- Bacon Cheeseburger, tater tots

Saturday- My husband is making Shrimp Fettucini Alfredo, green beans

Sunday- Day at Tony's for the Rams vs. 49er game

Merry Christmas

As I sit in on my couch staring at the presents and christmas lights, I think wow life is so wonderful. I'm patiently waiting to here the pitter patter of little feet. I can't wait to see the joy on their faces when they see their gifts. Christmas was very fun to get ready for this year. Since the kids are 4 and 6 they have some memory of what happened last year and are very excited for this year. We are so blessed to have all that we do. So from my family to yours

we wish you a very Merry Christmas!

Chicken Stir fry over Noodles

I have entered this recipe into Presto Pasta Night #145 at Once Upon A Feast, check out all the yummy pasta recipes on January 8, 2010.

Ingredients:

2 boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into small strips

1 green bell pepper, cut into strips

1 head broccoli, cut into florets and blanched

1/4 head cabbage chopped

1 carrot, sliced thin

1/2 yellow onion, cut into thin strips

3 tablespoons cornstarch

2 tablespoon, plus 1/2 cup chicken broth

1/2 teaspoon garlic powder

2 tablespoons vegetable oil

1/3 cup soy sauce

2 tablespoons sriracha

1/2 pound cooked spaghetti noodles

Make It:

In a large bag combine 2 tablespoons chicken broth, 2 tablespoons cornstarch, and garlic powder. Add chicken, seal bag and turn to coat. Heat wok over high heat, add 1 tablespoon oil, add chicken to wok and stir fry until cooked about 5 minutes. Remove from pan and set aside. Add 1 tablespoon oil to wok and add carrots, onion, and bell pepper, stir fry for a minute or two until softened add broccoli and cabbage, stir fry for another minute. In a small bowl whisk together soy sauce, 1 tablespoon cornstarch, rest of chicken broth and sriracha. Add chicken back to wok, add sauce to wok, cook and stir until combined and thickened, about 2 minutes. Add noodles to wok and stir until combined. Enjoy!

Cheddar & Bacon Potatoes

Ingredients:

6 red potatoes, cut into fourths

1 cup cheddar cheese, shredded

3 pieces bacon, cut into small pieces

Make It:

Boil potatoes for a couple minutes to soften them. Preheat oven to 375. In a skillet cook bacon over medium heat, until almost crispy, stirring often. Pour potatoes into a casserole dish. Pour bacon and bacon grease over potatoes, stir to coat the potatoes. Bake for 20 minutes, check potatoes and see if they are tender, if they are not cook another 10 minutes. Sprinkle with cheese and place under the broiler for 3 to 5 minutes until cheese is melted. Enjoy!

White Chocolate Chip & Coconut Cookies

Ingredients:

3/4 cup packed brown sugar

3/4 cup granulated sugar

1 stick butter, softened

4 ounces butter flavored crisco

3 eggs

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 1/2 cups flour

1 bag white chocolate chips

1 cup chopped pecans

2 cups shredded sweetened coconut

Make It:

Preheat oven to 350. In a mixing bowl beat together sugar, butter, shortening, and brown sugar until creamy. Add in eggs one at a time, mixing each one in before adding the next. In a separate bowl sift together flour, salt, and baking soda. With mixer on low, slowly pour in flour mixture, a little at a time. Once all flour is poured in, mix until completely combined. Gently fold in chocolate chips, pecans, and coconut. Drop tablespoons of dough( I use a melon baller)onto an ungreased cookie sheet. Bake for 10 minutes, remove from oven and allow to cool for 5 minutes on cookie sheet, then move cookies to a rack and allow to cool completely. Enjoy!

Mint and Dark Chocolate Chip Cookies

Ingredients:

3/4 cup packed brown sugar

3/4 cup granulated sugar

1 stick butter, softened

4 ounces butter flavored crisco

3 eggs

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 1/2 cups flour

1 bag mint and dark chocolate chips

Make It:

Preheat oven to 350. In a mixing bowl beat together sugar, butter, shortening, and brown sugar until creamy. Add in eggs one at a time, mixing each one in before adding the next. In a separate bowl sift together flour, salt, and baking soda. With mixer on low, slowly pour in flour mixture, a little at a time. Once all flour is poured in, mix until completely combined. Gently fold in chocolate chips. Drop tablespoons of dough( I use a melon baller)onto an ungreased cookie sheet. Bake for 10 minutes, remove from oven and allow to cool for 5 minutes on cookie sheet, then move cookies to a rack and allow to cool completely. Enjoy!

Fancy Pork & Beans

This might sound weird, but the mixture of sweet and spicy is really good. This recipe is also quick and easy.

Ingredients:

2 cans baked beans(I don't have a homemade recipe for these yet but i'm working on it)

1 package cheddarwurst, sliced

1 can ranch style beans

1 jalapeno, diced

1 shallot, diced

Ingredients:

Heat a large skillet over medium heat, spray with pam and add shallots and jalapenos. Cook and stir until softened. Add all cans of beans and stir, bring to a simmer. Reduce heat and cook for 15 minutes. Heat a separate pan over medium heat, and add cheddarwurst. Cook and stir for 5 minutes. Pour into beans, stir. Cook for another ten minutes. Enjoy!

S'more Cookies

This recipe comes out of a pillsbury magazine from 2007. I make them every year, and people just love them.

Ingredients:

1 cup butter, softened

1/2 cup packed brown sugar

1 egg

1 teaspoon vanilla

1 1/3 cups flour

1 cup ground up graham crackers, Put about 8 whole graham crackers in a ziploc bag and seal it, crush graham crackers with a rolling pin until they are ground up.

1/2 teaspoon salt

120 mini marshmallows

30 hershey chocolate rectangles, broken in half

Make It:

Preheat oven 325. In a large mixing bowl, beat together butter and brown sugar, until creamy. Add egg and vanilla and mix until blended together. Add flour and graham cracker and salt. Beat on low until a stiff dough forms. Shape teaspoons of dough into 60 balls and place on an ungreased cookie sheet. Press the center of each ball down with your thumb, to make an indention. Bake 10 minutes. Remove from oven and press two mini marshmallows into each cookie, put back in oven and bake for 2 minutes. Remove from oven and place one piece of chocolate on each cookie. Allow to sit for ten minutes then smooth the chocolate around on the cookie. Move to a rack to allow to cool completely. Enjoy!

Christmas M&M Chocolate Chip Cookies

Ingredients:

3/4 cup packed brown sugar

3/4 cup granulated sugar

1 stick butter, softened

4 ounces butter flavored crisco

3 eggs

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 1/2 cups flour

1 bag semi-sweet chocolate chips

1/2 cup christmas M&M's

1/2 cup dark christmas M&M's

Make It:

Preheat oven to 350. In a mixing bowl beat together sugar, butter, shortening, and brown sugar until creamy. Add in eggs one at a time, mixing each one in before adding the next. In a separate bowl sift together flour, salt, and baking soda. With mixer on low, slowly pour in flour mixture, a little at a time. Once all flour is poured in, mix until completely combined. Gently fold in chocolate chips and M&M's. Drop tablespoons of dough( I use a melon baller)onto an ungreased cookie sheet. Bake for 10 minutes, remove from oven and allow to cool for 5 minutes on cookie sheet, then move cookies to a rack and allow to cool completely. Enjoy!

Menu for December 21st - December 27th

Monday: The game this week is New York Giants at Washington Redskins, I might sound crazy but when I think redskins I think Pork! So i'm making Fancy Pork & Beans, oranges

Tuesday: Chicken and Biscuits

Wednesday: Beef Stir Fry, sticky rice

Thursday:Pork Loin Chop, Cheddar & Bacon Potatoes, Cauliflower

Friday: Christmas!

Saturday: Out of town

Sunday: Mozzarella Chicken with cavatelli noodles

Desserts of the week: Mint & dark chocolate chip cookies, Hershey kisses purses, Rice crispie treats, Peanut butter cookies, White chocolate chip & coconut cookies.

Salami, Mozzarella, and Arugula Sandwich

Ingredients:

2 mini ciabatta loaves

8 arugula leaves

16 salami slices

1 ball of fresh mozzarella, sliced into 8 slices

Make It:

Preheat broiler to high. Cut each loaf in half then slice open. On each piece of ciabatta place 2 pieces of salami then one piece of mozzarella. Place all on a cookie sheet under broiler, broil until cheese is melted, about 5 minutes. Take out and put 2 arugula leaves on four of the salami, cheese halves. Make sandwiches by placing the non arugula halves on the other halves. Lightly press together. Enjoy!

Pasta e fagioli

Ingredients:

2 tablespoons vegetable oil

1 pound ground beef

1 onion, diced

3 carrots, diced

3 celery stalks, diced

8 ounces shell noodles

28 ounces diced tomatoes

1 jar spaghetti sauce

1 can kidney beans, drained and rinsed

1 can cannellini beans, drained and rinsed

5 cups beef broth

1 1/2 teaspoons oregano

1 1/4 teaspoons black pepper

2 1/2 teaspoons dried parsley

Make It:

Heat a large skillet over med high heat, add ground beef and break up with a spoon while it browns. Heat a large soup pot over medium heat, add vegetable oil, add onion, carrots, and celery to pan. Once beef is browned throughout, drain of grease and add to pot with vegetables. Stir to combine and add tomatoes to pot. Simmer for ten minutes. Add all the other ingredients to the pot, stir to combine. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, simmer uncovered for 45 minutes, stirring occasionally. Enjoy!

Bow Tie Crab Casserole

Ingredients:

2 cups crab meat, I have leftover king crab so thats what i'm using

1 pound bow tie noodles, cooked

4 oz. velveeta, cut into cubes

2 cups cheddar cheese, grated

1 cup fontina cheese, grated

1 cup parmesan, grated

1/2 cup panko bread crumbs

3 tablespoons butter

3 tablespoons flour

4 cups milk

2 to 3 drops hot sauce(optional)

Make It:

Preheat oven to 350. Heat a large pot over medium heat, add butter and melt. Once butter is melted whisk in flour. When flour and butter are combined whisk in milk one cup at a time. Bring to a low boil, stirring often to avoid burning. Once boiling reduce heat a little and allow mixture to cook and thicken for five minutes. Remove from heat and stir in velveeta, cheddar, fontina, and 1/2 cup parmesan. Stir until combined and cheese is completely melted. Stir in hot sauce. Add in noodles and crab and stir to combine. Spray a large casserole dish with pam, and pour noodle mixture into dish. Mix together panko and parmesan, sprinkle onto top of casserole. Bake for thirty to forty five minutes until bread crumbs are golden brown. Enjoy!

Chili Seasoning Mix

Ingredients:

6 tablespoons new mexico chile powder

6 teaspoons paprika

3 tablespoons granulated garlic

3 tablespoons pasilla chile powder

3 tablespoons cumin

6 tablespoons salt

3 tablespoons ground black pepper

Make It:

Mix all together and store in a jar. Can be used in chilis, beans, as a steak rub or for whatever you want. Enjoy!

4 Bean Chili

Ingredients:

2 cups dry black beans

2 cups dry kidney beans

2 cups dry cranberry beans

1 can ranch style beans

1 pound ground beef

1 pound pork stew meat

2 small or 1 large green bell pepper, diced

3 jalapenos, diced

1 28oz can diced tomatoes

1 onion, diced

8 tablespoons chili seasoning mix

1 small can salsa verde

salt and pepper and red chile flakes to taste

Make It:

Soak all dry beans in enough water to cover, overnight. Heat a large pot over medium heat, add beef to the pot, cook breaking up with a spoon until browned. Add onion, bell pepper, and jalapenos to meat, cook and stir till softened. Drain off extra fat if needed. Add beans, pork, tomatoes, salsa verde and seasoning, stir together( if mixture seems to thick add a little water, beer, or beef broth).Bring to a boil, reduce heat. Cover and cook for 2 hours, stirring occasionally. Uncover taste and add salt, pepper and red chile flakes if needed. Allow to cook for another hour uncovered. Taste and add more seasoning if needed. Enjoy!

Oreo Ice Cream Cake

Ingredients:

12 ice cream sandwiches

1 tub cool whip

8 oreos crushed

1/2c. chocolate syrup

1 small package pudding

Make It:

Whisk pudding, chocolate syrup, and 1 cup cool whip until combined(if it is not smooth add a little milk). Stir in crushed oreos. On a large plate lay 4 sandwiches side by side, spread 1/2 of the pudding mixture on top of the sandwiches. Lay the next 4 sandwiches on top of the pudding side by side. Spread on the rest of the pudding mixture. Put on the last 4 sandwiches side by side, Spread the rest of the cool whip over the whole cake. Cover with foil, put in freezer for at least 2 hours, slice and Enjoy!

Menu for December 14th - December 20th

Monday- The game this week is Arizona vs. San Francisco, when I think of the bay area I think seafood. So i'm going to make a Bow Tie Crab Casserole, butter carrots

Tuesday- Pizza

Wednesday- Salami arugula mozzarella grilled sandwich, pasta e fagioli

Thursday- Broccoli cheese soup, chicken strips, sourdough bread

Friday- Fire roasted tomato sauce over fettucini noodles & spaghetti squash

Saturday- Christmas Party

Sunday- Chile verde burritos, orange & apple salad

Dessert of the week: Christmas M&M Chocolate Chip Cookies and S'more Cookies

Winter Vegetable Puree for Baby

This recipe makes enough to fill an ice cube tray,

a jar, and a serving to be eaten as soon as its ready.

Special Note: If your baby is under nine months old, don't add the broccoli(it is harder to digest) and blend it until smooth.

Ingredients:

3 golden potatoes, peeled

1 broccoli stem, sliced, and boiled until tender

1 large sweet potato or 2 small, peeled, and cut into pieces the same size as the potatoes

1 butternut squash, roasted, and meat taken out

1 cup apple juice for thinning

Make It:

In a 375 degree oven roast potato and sweet potato, for 30 minutes. Remove from oven and let cool. Cut into smaller pieces. Put potatoes and sweet potato into the blender with apple juice, blend until smooth. Add butternut squash, blend until smooth. Add broccoli and blend until mostly smooth, leaving it a little chunky. Put into an ice cube tray and freeze for later use. Enjoy!

Tips on beets

From what I have noticed not to many people like beets, and others have no idea what to do with them. So here is a little help. First off you can eat the whole thing greens and all. I chopped the beet greens up and tossed them with mushrooms, and green leaf lettuce, you can use any lettuce, and balsamic dressing.

The stalks i'm going to saute with celery and broccoli as a veggie side dish. The beet part takes a little prep but then it can be used in all kinds of recipes. Preheat oven to 375. Take beets and cut off greens and stalks and save, cut off root and discard. Wrap each beet in foil, place on a cookie sheet and bake for an hour or until a fork goes in with ease.

Allow to cool then remove skins. Removing the skins is tricky because they stain. If you have kitchen gloves wear them, I don't so I used plastic sandwich bags to cover my hands, and removed skins over the trash can.

At this point you can use them in a salad or in any beet recipe you have, or you can store them in the fridge until you are ready to use them. Enjoy!

Beets & Red Onion with Feta

Ingredients:

3 beets, baked until tender and skin removed, cut into wedges

1 red onion, cut into wedges

2 tablespoons vegetable oil

feta cheese

Make It:

Heat oven to 400. On a cookie sheet toss beets and onion with vegetable oil. Roast until onions are tender, about 20 minutes. Sprinkle with feta, as much as you like, and put back in the oven. Bake for about 5 minutes until cheese is melted. Enjoy!

Fennel & Carrot Saute

Ingredients:

1 fennel bulb, sliced into thin pieces

2 carrots, sliced at an angle

1/4 cup water

pam

1 tablespoon chopped dill

1 tablespoon butter

pinch of salt

Make It:

Heat a skillet over medium heat, spray with pam, add veggies to pan, and saute for 1 minute. Add water to pan, simmer for 5 minutes, or until water is gone. Add butter and salt to pan and toss to coat. Enjoy!

Double Decker Grilled Cheese & Green Bay Booyah

Booyah is a chicken and vegetable stew that was created in Green Bay. It is supposed to be made to feed a crowd, but i'm only feeding 4 so i'm making a smaller version. Traditionally its cooked outside for a long period of time. This is an indoor modified version, but with traditional ingredients.

Grilled cheese ingredients:

12 pieces garlic cheddar bread

4 slices sharp cheddar

4 slices medium cheddar

4 slices swiss

4 slices colby jack

butter

Make It:

Heat an iron skillet over medium high heat. Butter one side of 8 pieces of bread. Place one piece of bread butter side down in skillet, place one slice sharp cheddar on bread and one slice colby jack on sharp cheddar slice. Place one piece of unbuttered bread on the colby jack, then put one slice medium cheddar on bread and one slice swiss on medium cheddar, place a piece of buttered bread on top of that, butter side up. Cook until cheese on the bottom starts to melt, then flip and cook until all cheese is melted and bread is browned, you may need to lower the heat depending on your pan, if the bread is getting to dark. Enjoy!

Booyah Ingredients:

1 pound chicken thighs, skin off, left whole

1/2 pound stew meat

2 cups onion, chopped

1 cup celery, chopped

1 cup carrots, chopped

2 bay leaves

salt & pepper

5 cups chicken broth

5 cups beef broth

1 can stewed tomatoes

1/2 head cabbage, chopped

1 cup green beans, chopped

1 pound red potatoes, chopped

1 tablespoon soy sauce

juice of one lemon

Make It:

Put chicken and beef, bay leaves and broths and salt and pepper in a large pot, bring to a boil. Reduce heat cover and simmer for an hour. Uncover and add vegetables, lemon juice, soy sauce and salt and pepper if it needs it. Bring back up to a boil, stirring occasionally, reduce heat and simmer 30 minutes uncovered. Enjoy!

Abundant Harvest Box and Farmers Market

In the box this week I got a head of cabbage, a head of escarole, 3 beets, butternut squash, fennel, broccoli, carrots, popcorn, apples, oranges, mandarin oranges, bell peppers, and marjoram. From the farmers market I picked up red onion, mushrooms, green beans, lemons, and a loaf of cheddar garlic bread from Great Harvest Bread Company. The weather is changing and we are getting new things. At the time our bodies our fighting off colds and flus we get citrus loaded with vitamin c. I don't have a recipe to use the lemons this week so i'm going to freeze the juice to save for when I need it. Beets and fennel are new so keep your eye out for the new recipes.

Red Lasagna

I have entered this recipe into Presto Pasta Nights, hosted by Kevin at Closet Cooking, so check it out next friday December 11th.

I know this recipe looks complicated but once you do it, it is pretty easy, just time consuming!

Ingredients:

12 lasagna noodles

28oz. tomato sauce or jar spaghetti sauce

1 large or 2 small green bell pepper, diced

1 yellow onion, diced

1 pound ground beef

2 hot italian sausage

18 oz. ricotta cheese

1 cup shredded parmesan

3 cups shredded mozzarella

2 teas. finely chopped garlic

10 fresh basil leaves

1/2 bunch italian parsley

1 egg

salt & pepper

1 cup water

Make It:

Heat a large pot over medium, add ground beef, stir and cook until browned. Add italian sausage, squeezing it out of casing and breaking it up with a spoon. Stir and cook until browned, drain off fat. Add bell pepper and onion to pot, cook and stir until softened. Pour tomato sauce into pot, stir to combine. Add a 1/4 of the italian parsley bunch, leave whole. Bring to a boil, stir, lower heat and cover. Cook for an hour, stirring occasionally. Chop 7 of the basil leaves and the rest of the italian parsley. In a large bowl mix ricotta, 1 cup mozzarella, 1/4 cup parmesan, chopped basil and parsley, stir to combine. Add salt and pepper, taste, if you need more seasoning add it. In a separate bowl lightly beat egg. Pour egg into cheese mixture and stir to combine, cover and place in refrigerator( this step can be done the day before if you like). Chop 3 remaining basil leaves. Uncover sauce, remove italian parsley and stir in basil, taste and season with salt and pepper if needed. Simmer uncovered for 30 minutes. Turn off heat under sauce and add one cup water. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. In a large casserole dish ladle in 1/5 of your sauce, should be enough to cover the bottom of the dish, then layer 3 noodles(press noodles in sauce a little) then spread 1/4 cheese mixture over noodles, then sprinkle mozzarella and parmesan, then ladle on 1/5 of sauce. Repeat this step 3 more times. On top layer pour on rest of sauce, and sprinkle on rest of mozzarella and parmesan. Cover with foil(I spray the side of my foil that will be on the cheese with cooking spray) bake for 1 hour, check and if cheese on top is mostly melted remove cover and bake another 30 minutes, remove from oven and let sit 15 minutes before serving. Enjoy!

Menu for December 7th - December 13th

Monday- The football game is Baltimore at Green Bay so i'm making Double decker grilled cheese sandwiches and Green Bay Booyah

Tuesday- Jessica's Birthday Dinner

Wednesday- Spaghetti & Meatballs, fennel and carrot saute

Thursday- New york steak, rice pilaf, beets and red onion with feta

Friday- Chicken stir fry over noodles

Saturday- 4 bean chili, cornbread muffins

Sunday- Oven roasted chicken breasts with carrots, butternut squash, onion, and red potatoes with sauce

Shells and Cheese

Ingredients:

1/2 pound shell noodles, cooked

4 oz velveeta cheese, cut into cubes

1/2 cup cheddar cheese

milk to thin

Make It:

Heat a saucepan over medium heat, add velveeta. Stir until melted, stir in cheddar and stir until melted. Stir in enough milk to get a saucy consistency. Pour noodles into sauce, stir to combine. Enjoy!

Rosemary Flank Steak

Ingredients:

1 flank steak

2 stems fresh rosemary

salt and pepper

vegetable oil

1 tablespoon flour

1 tablespoon butter

1/2 cup beef broth

1 tablespoon garlic

Make It:

Preheat broiler on high. Place flank steak on a cookie sheet, place rosemary stems on top, and brush steak and rosemary with vegetable oil. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Place under broiler for 10-12 minutes for medium rare. Take out of broiler and let steak rest. In a saucepan over medium heat melt butter and garlic, whisk in flour. Add beef broth and whisk until thickened. Add rosemary stems to saucepan and allow to cook over low heat for 5 minutes. Slice meat against the grain to serve. Serve with a drizzle of sauce. Enjoy!

Honey Sweet Potatoes

Ingredients:

2 sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into bite size pieces

1 shallot, diced

2 tablespoons honey

1 tablespoon butter

salt to taste

Make it:

Boil or steam sweet potatoes until tender. Heat a skillet over medium low heat, add a spray of pam and shallots to pan. Allow shallots to cook over low heat until soft. Add butter to pan, once it is melted add sweet potatoes, toss to combine. Add honey and salt and stir to combine. Enjoy!

Beef Enchiladas

Ingredients:

1/2 pound ground beef

2 cups cheddar cheese, shredded

1 can enchilada sauce

10 corn tortillas

1/2 white onion chopped

1 jalapeno, seeded and diced

1/2 package taco seasoning

1/4 cup water

sliced olive

sour cream

Make It:

Preheat oven to 350. Heat a skillet over medium heat, add meat. Let the meat cook until brown throughout, breaking it up with a spoon as it cooks. Drain off most of the grease, and add onion and jalapeno, stir to combine. Cook until onion is tender, add taco seasoning and water, bring to a boil and reduce heat. Let simmer for 5 minutes. Heat another skillet over medium heat, pour enchilada sauce in and cook until warm. One at a time dip each tortilla in sauce, then place in a casserole dish, fill with meat mixture and a sprinkle of cheese, roll up and place seam side down in dish. Continue with all the tortillas. Once you have them all filled and rolled top with remaining enchilada sauce, remaining cheese and olives. Bake for 30 minutes or until cheese is bubbly. Serve topped with sour cream. Enjoy!

Chicken Pot Pie # 2

Ingredients:

2 chicken breasts, diced, and cooked

2 golden potatoes, boiled and diced

2 shallots, diced

1 turnips, diced

1 yam, peeled, diced, boiled

3 tablespoons flour

3 tablespoons butter

2 cups chicken broth

1 tablespoon dijon mustard

1 tablespoon fresh dill, diced

2 pie crusts

Make It:

Heat a large saucepan over medium heat, spray with pam and add shallots and turnips to the pan. Cook until softened about 5 minutes. Preheat oven to 350. Add butter to the pan, once it is melted add flour and whisk to combine. Add chicken broth, a little at a time, whisking to combine. Once all broth is combined, bring to a small boil and allow to thicken. Reduce heat and whisk in mustard and dill. Add all vegetables and chicken to pan, stir to combine. In a 9 inch pie plate, place one crust. Pour all filling onto crust. Cover with second crust, press all the edges together to seal. Put 2 slits in the top, and bake for 30-40 minutes, until golden and bubbly. Enjoy!

Menu for November 30th - December 6th

Monday- The game this week is New England at New Orleans so i'm making Chicken and Sausage Gumbo with white rice, apple slices

Tuesday- Chicken pot pie, green beans

Wednesday- Beef enchiladas, corn

Thursday- Rosemary flank steak, rice pilaf, honey sweet potatoes

Friday- Breaded chicken, shells & cheese, peas

Saturday- Avon Party

Sunday- Poker tournament

Dessert of the week: Leftover Thanksgiving Pies

Chicken & Sausage Gumbo

Ingredients:

1/2 cup vegetable oil

3/4 cup flour

4 tablespoons creole seasoning

1 cup diced onion

1/2 cup bell pepper diced

1/2 cup celery diced

1 1/2 cups sausage, diced, i'm using linguica

3 tablespoons garlic

6 cups chicken stock

3 bay leaves

1 1/2 cups chicken thighs cut into bite size pieces

2 tablespoons worcestershire sauce

hot sauce to taste

2 tablespoons chopped parsley

1/4 cup green onion, diced

Make It:

Heat oil in cast iron dutch oven over medium high heat. Whisk in flour, add 1 tablespoon creole seasoning, sausage, celery, onion, bell pepper. Stir until vegetables are soft. Add stock, remaining seasoning and garlic. Bring to a boil, lower to a simmer, cover, cook for 2 hours. Add chicken, worcestershire sauce, hot sauce, parsley, and green onion cook until chicken is cooked through. Stirring occasionally about 30 minutes. Serve over white rice. Enjoy!

Creole Seasoning

Ingredients:

1/2 cup kosher salt

1/3 cup paprika

1/4 cup granulated garlic

4 tablespoons onion powder

1/3 cup black pepper

3 tablespoons white pepper

2 tablespoons cayenne pepper

2 tablespoons dried thyme

2 tablespoons dried basil

1 tablespoon oregano

Make It:

Mix all ingredients. Store in a jar, use in any cajun, creole recipe or on whatever you want. Enjoy!

Hot Spinach & Artichoke Dip

Ingredients:

1 pkg cream cheese

3/4 c mayonaise

1 pkg knorr vegetable dip mix

1/2 pound spinach, chopped

1/2 pkg mushrooms, chopped

3 green onion, chopped

1 can quartered artichoke hearts, chopped

1/2c. shredded parmesan

small french bread slices

Make It:

Heat a small crockpot on low while you chop all the veggies. Add all ingredients to crockpot and stir. Cover cook on low for two hours, stirring often. Serve with bread on side. Enjoy!

Happy Thanksgiving!

This is our whole pig! Mike bbq'd it, so good!

Roast turkey!

My sister made homemade green bean casserole!
Roasted red potatoes with dill and italian parsley!
Stuffing!
And of course, Pumpkin Pie!

Salsa Stoup and Double Decker Baked Quesadillas

This was good, but I didn't like the stoup by itself, it was only good for dipping. The kids liked and said they would want it again.

This recipe is from Rachael Rays Book of 10

Ingredients:

2 tblsp. vegetable oil

2 jalapenos seeded and diced

1 green bell pepper chopped

1 onion chopped

3 celery ribs chopped

3 garlic cloves chopped

salt and pepper

1 28oz. can stewed tomatoes

1 28oz. can crushed tomatoes

2 cups vegetable stock

3 tblsp. chopped cilantro

6 flour tortillas

1 cup shredded cheddar

3 scallions chopped

1 cup shredded pepper jack cheese

sour cream for topping

Make It:

Preheat oven to 300. Heat a medium soup pot over medium high heat. Add the vegetable oil, jalapenos, bell pepper, onion, celery, and garlic. Season with salt and pepper, then saute the veggies for 5 minutes. Add all the tomatoes and the stock and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to a simmer and stir in the cilantro. Paint one side of the tortillas with oil and place them, oiled side down, on a large cookie sheet. Mix the scallions with the cheddar, and divide between the tortillas evenly. Top with another tortilla and top each of those with equal amounts of the pepper jack cheese. Set the last tortillas on top and brush the tops with oil. Bake the quesadillas for 10 minutes, then cool or 5 minutes to set. Cut each into 6 wedges. Serve each bowl of stoup with 3 wedges of quesadilla alongside and sour cream for topping. Enjoy!

Special note: I had to bake the quesadillas for 30 minutes to get them crispy.

Frito Boats with Tex-Mex Chili

Ingredients:

1 pound ground beef

2 bell peppers, diced

1 onion, diced

1 14oz. can diced tomatoes

1 can rotel brand diced tomatoes and chilies

2 cans black beans, drained and rinsed

2 tblsp. new mexico chile powder

2 teas. paprika

1 tblsp. granulated garlic

1 tblsp. pasilla chile powder

1 tblsp. cumin

1/4 cup chopped cilantro

1 bottle good quality beer

salt to taste

1 cup corn(optional)

Fritos

cheddar cheese, grated

Make It:

Heat a large pot over medium heat. Add meat brown breaking up meat with your spoon. Once meat is browned, drain off half of the grease, add peppers and onions. Stir and brown until softened. Add beer and allow to reduce by half. Add seasonings, tomatoes, rotel, corn and black beans, stir to combine. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer for an hour. Place two handfuls of fritos in a bowl, top with chili and cheese. Enjoy!

Special Note: If the chili is too thin. Spoon 2 tablespoons of liquid off the top and place in a separate pan, whisk in 2 tablespoons flour, stir to combine. Whisk into chili and allow to simmer for 15 minutes more.

Roasted Orange Vegetables

Ingredients:

1 yam or sweet potato, peeled and cut into bite size pieces

1 butternut squash, peeled cut into pieces a little bigger than bite size

2 carrots, sliced into small pieces

butter

1 tblsp. vegetable oil

salt

Make It:

Make sure your squash pieces are biggest and carrots are smallest, because the squash is softest and will cook the fastest. Preheat oven to 425. On a baking sheet toss all vegetables with vegetable oil. Place in oven and roast for 20 minutes, until all are tender, the carrots will be the hardest so I check them. Dot with butter and sprinkle with salt, lightly stir to combine. Enjoy!

Abundant Harvest Box and Farmers Market

This week in our box we got apples, pears, shallots, gold potatoes, yams, turnips, broccoli, cabbage, butternut squash, arugula, radicchio, carrots, rosemary, and dill. From the farmers market I picked up green beans, grape tomatoes and yellow grape tomatoes(Kili was very excited to still get tomatoes) oranges, red and yellow onion, and mushrooms.

Menu for November 23rd - November 29th

Thanksgiving week! I am making a menu for this week, but with the holiday it might not happen. I never know how many leftovers we will have or how often we will want to eat them.

Monday- The game this week is Tennessee Titans at Houston Texans. So I decided to do a tex-mex theme. Frito boats with tex-mex chili, broccoli

Tuesday- Recipe day from Rachael Rays Book of 10 Salsa stoup and double decker baked quesadillas, fruit salad

Wednesday- Order out and Thanksgiving prep

Thursday- Thanksgiving! Whole pig, roast turkey, roasted red potatoes, stuffing, green bean casserole

Friday- Leftovers

Saturday- Rigatoni with meat sauce, broccoli

Sunday-

Shredded Pork Tacos

Ingredients:

2 pork sirloin or tri-tip(I get the 3 pack from costco)

2 jars green salsa

1 bell pepper, cut into strips

1 onion, cut into strips

2 jalapenos, diced, seeds removed if you like

1 or 2 anaheim chiles, cut into rings

1/4 cup chopped cilantro

juice from 2 limes

1 tblsp. cumin

1 cup beef broth

salt and pepper

taco shells

favorite taco toppings

Make It:

Put all ingredients in crock pot and stir. Cook on high for 4 hours or for 6 hours on low. When done pull out meat and veggies and shred up. Add juice from crock pot to moisten meat, make sure you don't add to much. You don't want it to be to wet. Serve in a taco shell with your favorite toppings. Enjoy!

French Fried Onion Baked Chicken

This recipe is straight off the french's onion can, and it is delicious!

Ingredients:

4 boneless skinless chicken breasts

2 cups french fried onion, crushed to make small crumbs

salt and pepper

1 egg, beaten

Make It:

Preheat oven to 400. Salt and pepper chicken. Dip chicken into egg, then into onion crumbs. Press firmly to adhere. Spray a baking sheet with pam, and place chicken on it. Bake for 20 minutes. Enjoy!

Tuna Noodle Casserole

Ingredients:

1/2 pound egg noodles, cooked

2 carrots diced

1/2 yellow onion diced

1/2 cup green beans, cooked and diced

1/2 cup cooked corn

1 can tuna, drained

1 can cream of celery soup

1/2 can milk or more if needed to thin soup

crumbled potato chips for topping

Make It:

Preheat oven to 350. Heat a large saucepan over medium heat. Spray with pam and add onion and carrots, cook until softened. Stir in green beans, corn, and tuna. Stir in soup and milk. Stir until heated thru and combined. Put noodles in a 9 inch casserole dish, pour sauce over top and stir to combine. Sprinkle with crumbled potato chips and bake until heated thru and bubbly, about 30 minutes. This can be made ahead and covered and kept in refrigerator for a few days. If you make ahead leave potato chips off until you bake it. Baking time will be longer on a premade. Enjoy!

Apple Crisp

Ingredients:

1 cup flour

3/4 cup rolled oats

1 cup packed brown sugar

1 teas. cinnamon

1/2 cup butter

4 cups peeled, chopped apples

1 cup sugar

2 tablsp. cornstarch

1 cup water

1 teas. vanilla

serve with vanilla ice cream or whip cream(optional)

Make It:

Preheat oven to 350. In a mixing bowl, combine first four ingredients. Cut in butter until crumbly. Press half into a greased 9 inch baking dish. Cover with apples. In a saucepan, combine sugar, cornstarch, water and vanilla. Cook and stir until thick and clear. Pour over apples. Sprinkle with remaining crumb mixture. Bake for an hour, until apples are tender. Serve warm with toppings. Enjoy!

Cheesy Crescent Dawgs with Brown Mustard

Ingredients:

1 tube crescent rolls

8 hot dogs

8 slices cheddar cheese, each cut into 3 strips

brown mustard of choice(I prefer the beer and brat mustard, it is spicy and delicious)

Make It:

Preheat oven to 375. Slit hot dogs to within 1/2 inch of ends. Insert 3 strips of cheese into each hot dog. Wrap 1 crescent dough triangle around each hot dog. Bake on ungreased cookie sheet, cheese side up, for 12-15 minutes, until golden brown. Serve with mustard on the side. Enjoy!

Menu for November 16th - November 22nd

Monday: The game this week is baltimore at cleveland. I couldn't find any cleveland specific recipes so i'm being creative 8-) Cheesy crescent dawgs with brown mustard, green salad

Tuesday: Going to cooking exhibit

Wednesday: Tuna noodle casserole, apple slices

Thursday: French fried onion baked chicken, cheesy mashed potatoes, corn on the cob

Friday: Beef and broccoli with sticky rice

Saturday: Recipe day- From Rachael Ray's Book Of 10 Swedish Meatballs on Noodles

Sunday: Shredded pork tacos, refried bean bake

Dessert of the week: Apple Crisp

To Do this week: Cook and freeze green beans. Make applesauce.

If you are wondering why all the new recipes are coming from the same cookbook, it is because it is new and there are so many recipes in it I want to try. Also it is more economical to use one new cookbook at a time.

One of the things I love about the weather getting cold is that you can start using the oven more, which means more casseroles. I love making casseroles! Our casserole for this week is tuna noodle, since it can be made ahead and then baked. I'm constructing it on sunday, so on wednesday I can just through it in the oven. Also since two recipes this week use egg noodles(tuna noodle casserole and swedish meatballs on noodles) i'm boiling a pound and a half off on sunday. This just makes my life easier!

Abundant Harvest Box and Farmers Market

In the box this week we got fuji apples, pears, a head of red leaf lettuce, a pound of spinach, two sweet potatoes, potatoes, 1 bunch cilantro, 2 heads of broccoli, 1 avocado. From the farmers market I got 1 dozen eggs, green beans, corn, apples for applesauce and apple crisp, bell peppers, and oranges.

Abundant Harvest Box and Farmers Market

In this weeks box we got 1 bunch bok choy, 2 bunches carrots. 1 butternut squash, 4 bell peppers, 4 italian sweet peppers, 2 yellow onions, 1 head radicchio, grapes, 4 apples, 4 pears, 2 avocados, 1 bunch arugula, 1 bunch tuscan kale, 5 yams, and lots of persimmons. At the farmers market I picked up 2 pounds of apples, portabella mushrooms(which I stuffed) and eggs.

Chicken Parmesan

Ingredients:

4 chicken breasts

1 jar spaghetti sauce or 1 jar homemade sauce

2 cups bread crumbs

2 cups flour

4 eggs

1 tblsp milk

8 slices fresh mozzarella

3 tblsp italian seasoning

2 tblsp grated parmesan cheese

vegetable oil

salt and pepper

Make It:

Pound out each chicken breast by putting them in between two pieces of plastic wrap and pounding with a meat mallet or rolling pin. Pound to 1/4 inch thickness. Heat sauce in a pan. Preheat oven to 375. In 3 separate dishes, put flour in 1, bread crumbs, italian seasoning and parmesan in 1, and eggs and milk in 1. Mix eggs and milk together with a fork. Mix bread crumbs, italian seasoning, and parmesan together, season with salt and pepper. Heat enough oil in pan to cover halfway. Put chicken in flour, shake off excess, then in egg, then in bread crumbs. Place in oil and fry 4 minutes per side. Place on a cookie sheet, ladle tomato sauce on top and place two pieces of cheese on sauce. Repeat with other chicken breasts. Bake in oven until cheese is melted about 15 minutes. Enjoy!

Denver Scramble

Ingredients:

6 eggs
1 red bell pepper, diced
1/2 red onion, diced
1 ham steak, cut onto cubes
4 pieces bacon, cooked and crumbled
1 cup cheddar cheese
1 tblsp. milk
salt and pepper to taste


Make It:
Heat a large skillet over med-heat, spray with pam. Add bell pepper and onion, saute until softened. Meanwhile in a seperate bowl break all eggs and add milk, whip with a fork or whisk until yolks and whites are combined. Add ham and bacon to pan, cook a minute or so till ham is heated through. Pour in egg mixture. Stir and scrape pan until eggs are cooked, and everything is combined. Sprinkle cheese on top turn heat to low and cover until cheese is melted. Enjoy!

Menu for November 9th - November 15th

Monday: The game this week is Pittsburgh at Denver. I did a little searching but couldn't find a better choice than the denver omelette. I don't make omelettes, so dinner will be a denver scramble, toast, fruit salad

Tuesday: Chicken parmesan with spaghetti noodles, garlic bread, green salad

Wednesday: Recipe day from Rachael Ray's new cookbook Book of 10, Caution flag chili with flat tire toppers

Thursday: Chicken stir fry over noodles

Friday: Steak, roasted orange veggies

Saturday: Out of town

Sunday: Pigs in a blanket, fruit

Steak Flauta Enchiladas

This is a non-homemade meal, but its quick and easy!

Ingredients:

1 pkg. steak flautas(I get mine from costco)

1 can red enchilada sauce

2 cups cheddar cheese

sour cream to put on top(optional)

Make It:

Preheat oven to 350. In a large casserole dish, pour enough enchilada sauce on bottom of pan to cover. Line all flautas in bottom of pan, any way they will fit. Pour rest of sauce over flautas. Sprinkle all cheese on top, and bake until cheese is bubbly. Enjoy!

Homemade Diced Tomatoes

This makes 2 1/2 cups of tomatoes. Take 10 roma tomatoes cut the stem end off then cut in half. With a spoon scoop out seeds and place skin side up on a cookie sheet. Turn broiler on high. Drizzle some olive oil over the top of tomatoes and toss around so they are coated. Place under broiler for ten minutes.

Take them out when the skins are wrinkly. And look like this.
Allow to cool then remove skins and chop up tomatoes to desired consistency. Enjoy!

Jambalaya

This is my recipe for jambalaya, it is not traditional, but my family loves it and hopefully yours will too!

Ingredients:

1 small onion diced

2 stalks celery diced

1 bell pepper diced

2 garlic cloves diced

2 tblsp. butter

1 ham steak cut into small cubes

1 28oz can diced tomatoes

10 1/2 oz beef broth

1 cup brown rice

1 cup water

1 teas sugar

1 teas dried thyme

1 teas chili powder

1/4 teas pepper

4 cheddarwurst sausages sliced

Make It:

In a large pot, saute onion, celery, green pepper, and garlic in butter until tender. Add next nine ingredients. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, cover and simmer for an hour, stirring occasionally, until rice is tender. Add sausages cover and cook another ten minutes or until sausages are heated through. Enjoy!

Applesauce

Ingredients:

8- 10 apples we have had fuji the last two weeks so thats what I used but you can use any kind that is sweet.

water

Make It:

Put enough water in bottom of big pot to cover about 3 inches. Place steamer basket in pot. Bring to a boil. Core and quarter all the apples. Once water is boiling put apples in steamer basket, reduce heat and steam until apples are tender, about 30 minutes. Remove apples from heat and let cool. Put half the apples in the blender with some of the steaming water, blend until smooth. Add the rest of the apples and more water if needed, blend until smooth. Enjoy!

Halloween food Pictures

This is the worms and cheese(homemade mac and cheese with cavatappi noodles).

Chicken fingers(chicken tenders soaked in buttermilk all day then dredged in seasoned flour and shallow fried and finished in the oven).
I forgot to take pics before we starting eating, but you get the idea!

Mike made these rice crispie skulls!

Menu for November 2nd - November 8th

I have decided to try a new recipe from a cookbook or blog every week. I will post the recipe, then the picture then let you know what the family thought. This week the recipe will be from Rachael Ray.

I'm also going to try to theme monday nights dinners on foods and recipes enjoyed in the town the monday night football game is played in.

MNF game Atlanta vs. New Orleans

Monday- Jambalaya, green salad

Tuesday- Pork loin chop, mashed red potatoes, homemade applesauce

Wednesday- Recipe day: Pepper & onion stoup with chicken sausages and sun dried tomato-basil gobble-ums

Thursday- Steak stir fry, sticky rice

Friday- Take out

Saturday- Steak flauta enchiladas, fruit salad

Sunday- Baked penne, sauteed spinach

Dessert of the week: Apple Pie

Abundant Harvest Box and Farmers Market

It was a really good box this week, lots of new stuff!

1 head red leaf lettuce, 1 head napa cabbage, 5 baby turnips, 7 small zucchini, lots of red potatoes, 1 pound of spinach, 4 shallots, lots of pears, 12 persimmons, 1 bunch dill, 3 eggplant, 1 butternut squash. At the farmers market I picked up mushrooms, red and yellow onions, apples, green beans, and 3 red bell peppers( i'm thinking the bell peppers are going to be ending soon so i'm trying to stock up).

We are making applesauce again this week, the kids ate everything we made in two days last week. I also bought another 20 pounds of tomatoes, so I will be busy cooking those up this week.

Halloween

Happy Halloween!

My beautiful children decorated these yummy cupcakes yesterday. Halloween is my favorite holiday so I have a fun menu planned for today. We will be having chicken fingers, worms and cheese, snack bugs, green worms(green beans), caramel corn, and rice crispie skulls. The kids are dressing as a storm trooper and alice in wonderland, all of our friends are coming to trick or treat with us. I will post pictures tomorrow. Everybody have a great halloween!

Abundant Harvest Box and Farmers Market

I was to busy saturday to take a picture, so here is the list. In the box we got 1 bunch collard greens, a spicy pepper mix, 4 bell peppers, grapes, green beans, 4 zucchini, 1 huge yam, red potatoes, apples, pomegranates, and radishes.

It is officially apple season, I love it. At the farmers market I got organic fujis to make applesauce and pippins to make apple pie. I also got mushrooms, bread, red and yellow onions. I get the bread from the great harvest bread company, their bread is fantastic.

Kili's Chocolate Cake

Every year kili's school has a cake contest that she enters. This year was sick and could not enter a cake in the contest. So she just made it for the family to enjoy. Lucky us!

Menu for October 26th - November 1st

Monday- Pretzel crusted chicken strips, shells and cheese, zucchini sticks

Tuesday- Pork loin chop, mashed sweet potatoes, collard greens

Wednesday- Chicken enchilada casserole, black beans

Thursday- Ham and cheese scramble, toast, apple slices

Friday- Chili macaroni, green beans

Saturday- Halloween!

Sunday- Round roast with potatoes, vegetables, and mushroom sauce

Dessert of the week- Kili's chocolate cake

It occurred to me half way through my day yesterday that thursday is my birthday so we will probably have sushi that day. This is what happens when you blog at 5:00a.m.!

Chicken Enchilada Casserole

I know these picture don't look very good, but they give you an idea of what it looks like.

Ingredients:

12 corn tortillas

16 oz enchilada sauce, any kind, I had a some green and red left over so that is what I used

1 cup shredded cheddar

1 cup shredded pepper jack

2 chicken breasts, cooked and chopped, seasoned with salt and pepper and a little chili powder and garlic powder

Make It:

Preheat oven to 350. Warm enchilada sauce in a pan on stove. Take one tortilla dip it in sauce on both sides and put in bottom of a large casserole dish, continue this step with 3 more tortillas. Sprinkle on evenly over tortillas 1/4 cup of each cheese and 1/2 of the chicken. Repeat step one with four more tortillas. Repeat step two using the rest of the chicken. Dip the last four tortillas in sauce and place on top, pour remaining sauce over tortillas, sprinkle with rest of cheese. Bake until cheese is bubbly about 30-45 minutes. Enjoy!

Spicy Chicken Stir Fry

I served this stir fry tossed with noodles, but you could serve it with brown or white rice as well.

Ingredients:

2 stalks celery, cut into short strips

4 chinese string beans, cut into short strips and blanched

1 head baby bok choy, cut into pieces crunchy part and leaf part put into separate piles

2 chicken breasts cut into strips

2 scallions or spring onion cut into short strips

1 bell pepper cut into strips

1/2 cup spicy stir fry sauce( I have not concocted my own stir fry sauce recipe yet so I used fresh and easys)

pam or vegetable oil

1/2 pound spaghetti noodles boiled and drained

Make It:

Heat a wok or large pan over high heat. Add a spray of pam or 1 tablespoons of vegetable oil. Put celery, bell pepper, and crunchy part of bok choy in wok stir fry until tender, should take 3 to 5 minutes. Add in scallion, string bean, and leaf part of bok choy. Stir fry until tender, it goes fast should only take a minute. Remove all veggies from wok and put on a plate, wipe out wok and add another spray of pam or 1 tablespoon vegetable oil. Put chicken in wok and stir fry until cooked through should take five to seven minutes. Add vegetables back to pan and add 1/2 the sauce toss to coat. Add noodles to pan and rest of sauce toss to coat. Enjoy!